Suit-case or satchel fastener, catch, or lock.



No. 801,587. PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905. J. HAMMESFAHR. SUIT CASE 0R SATOHEL FASTENBR, CATCH, 0R LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED MAILZS, 1904.

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ATTORNEY.

PATENTED OCT. 10, 1906.

J. HAMMESPAHR. SUIT CASE OR SATCHEL PASTENER, CATCH, OR LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29,1904.

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INVENTOR:

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No. 801,587. PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905. J. HAMMESPAHR. SUIT CASE 0R SATUHEL PASTENER, CATCH, OR LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR; mu muzk BY ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS HAHMESFAHR, OF VAILSBURG. NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE R. NEWVMANN HARDIVARE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEIV JERSEY.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

Application filed March 29, 1904. Serial No. 200,562.

To (077/ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS HAMMESFAHR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vailsburg, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suit-Case or Satchel F asteners. Catches. or Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to secure greater simplicity and neatness of appearance and facility and ease of operation, to secure a novel and obscure means of releasing the catches of a suit-ease, whereby the case will not be opened with facility by one unacquainted with the construction of the catching means and yet by one having a knowledge of its structure and operation with as great if not greater facility and ease than heretofore, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved fastener or catch and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantiall y as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a plan of the invention, particularly as applied to the sides of a suitcase. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with a certain top plate removed. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line .13, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of a case having my improvements in connection with the handle rings or connections of a case, the handle connections being in horizontal section. Fig. 5 is a plan of the last variety with the outer case-plate removed.

Fig. 6 is a section taken at line 1 of Fig. 5. Fig. '7 is a vertical section taken at the longitudinal axis of one of the members in the variety shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the handle connections in the last-mentioned variety.

In said drawings, 6 6 indicate the cover and body or the opposite sections of a suit-case, bag, or satchel of any construction. 7 indicates a catch or lock member secured to one of said parts 6, and 8 indicates a hasp or eooperating catch member attached to the other of said parts or sections 6, the said members cooperating to hold said parts or sections 6 in closed relation. A handle 9 with but limited flexibility is or may be attached at opposite ends to rings 10 and 11, by which said handle 9 is secured to the long case-plate 12 of the catch member 7, said case-plate 12 extending from end to end of the handle. In the construction of Figs 1, 2, and 3, where the invention is not employed in direct connection with the handle for carrying the suitcase, the ring 10 is shaped, as at 101, to provide a finger portion whereby it may be conveniently turned pivotally on its bar 24, the linger portion 101 in this instance lying against the case in a plane at right angles to its vertical operating-finger 16. Said case-plate 12 is provided beneath at its opposite sides near the opposite ends of said plate in the variety of Figs. 4, 5, and 7 with recesses 13. adapted to receive the lower or pivotal portion of the ring 10, and above said recesses with box-like protuberances 14, adapted to receive a vertical projection or lip 15 of the ring and a vertical projection 16 of a sliding bolt or latch 17.

In the construction of Figs. 1 and 7 one of the projections or lips 15 and the ring 11, with which it is connected, is held vertically rigid in its relation to the coverplate 12, while the other ring 10 and projection 15 are free to move in the box 14, the projection being adapted to turn pivotally inward or toward the center of the plate 12, so that lateral pressure on said ring will move its projection 15 inward toward the center of the plate 12. Said lip or projection 15 bears against the vertical projection or extension 16 of the latch or bolt 17 lying within the cover-plate 12 and forces the latter inward, as will be obvious upon examination of Figs. 2, 5, and 7. The said latch or bolt 17 is adapted to engage the notched tongue 18 of the hasp 8 to lock the same in any suitable manner, a spring 19 tending to hold the bolt or latch 17 into catching relation with the tongue 18, as will be understood upon examination of Figs. 2, 5, and 6.

ln operating the device by lifting the linger piece or portion 101 of the construction,

as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, or by pressure upon the pivotal ring 10 by the finger pressing against the handle 20, Fig. 7 the lip or projection 15 is turned pivotally and tends to throw the bolt 17 away from the notched tongue 18, so that the said tongue is released. The spring 19 then acts automatically to turn the said latch or bolt to its position shown in Fig. 1 or as shown in Figs. 4: and 7. In the latter case the ring 10 stands in a vertical position or in a position perpendicular to the cover-plate 12, the interior of the said plate 12 providing a stop-bearing 21, which opposes the spring 19 and holds the said ring or the lip 15 thereof in vertical position. The limited movement of the tongue 15 and latch extension or projection 16 is permitted by enlarging the opening 22 within the box 1 1 at one end of Fig. 7 from what is shown at the opposite end of said figure. The lip or projection 15 of the ring 11 fits snugly the small opening 22, in which it lies, and thus pivotal action is prevented; but the rigid ring 11 is separable from the cover-plate 12, so as to be interchangeable with the ring 10, if desired.

Of the rings 10 and 11, as shown in Fig. 8, 23 indicates the rounded part adapted to receive the handle 9 and permits the turning of said handle on said ring, and 24: indicates the straight pivotal bar at the bottom of said ring and on which the ring 10 turns pivotally to permit the opening of the bag or suit-case, as before described, said bar having the eccentric lip or projection 15 about midway of its length.

I am aware that various modifications and changes of detail construction other than those above detailed may be made Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself by all the descriptive expressions hereinbefore employed except as the state of the art may require.

Having thus described the invention, whatI claim as new is- 1. The combination with the locking members, one of which is provided with a case-plate, a latch or bolt slidablyarranged in said caseplate and a spring arranged in said casein engagement with said bolt for holding the said bolt in catching relation, of a handle arranged at its opposite ends in connection with one of said members, one end of said handle being arranged on said case-plate and the other end on a pivotal connection adapted to engage the said latch orbolt to open the same, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the case-plate adapted to be applied to the case or satchel and having a lock-bolt therein'adapted to engage a cooperating locking member, and having at its opposite ends pivotal recesses for handle-rings, said bolt being bent or turned at one end contiguous to one of said recesses, a spring'also arranged in said case-plate, and rings arranged in said recesses one of which has a lip or'projection adapted to engage the turned end of said bolt and move said bolt longitudinally.

3. In combination with the long cover-plate recessed at its opposite ends on its under side, and having boxes formed near said recesses, of rings arranged in said recesses one having a lip or projection and having a limited pivotal movement and the other being fixed in said recesses, a handle arranged at its opposite ends on said rings, a sliding latch or bolt engaged by the lip, and a spring opposing said lip, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the long cover-plate recessed at its opposite ends on its under side, and having boxes formed near said recesses, of rings arranged in said recesses, one having alip or projection and having a limited pivotal movement and the other being fixed in said recesses, a handle arranged at its opposite ends on said rings, a sliding latch or bolt havinga bent or turned end lying with the lip in one of said boxes, said turned end being engaged by the lip, and a spring opposing said lip, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the case-plate having a sliding bolt therein with a bent extremity and a spring for operating said bolt, said case-plate having pivotal recesses at opposite sides, of a ring 10, extending through said opposite recesses and underneath said case-plate and having thereunder a lip or projection adapted to engage the said bolt and move said bolt longitudinally within the caseplate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of March, 1904.

JULIUS HAMMESFAHR.

\Nitnesses:

GHARLEs H. PELL, RUssnLL M. EVERETT. 

